Posted on 04/27/2014 3:47:28 PM PDT by Faith Presses On
With it so much in the news right now that the Catholic Church is making two former Popes "saints." shouldn't Bible-believing Christians, and those in leadership in particular, be pointing out the Bible truth on who is a saint is? The media won't do this themselves, and the Catholic use of "saint" has caused a lot of ignorance on this most important matter.
You’ve never heard of All Saints’ Day?
Paul implies there are two categories (if you will) of Christians: those who are called, and those who call upon the name of the Lord:
"Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:" (1 Cor 1:2 KJV)
The prophet Joel made a similar distinction:
"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call." (Joel 2:32 KJV)
Paul mentions himself as one of those who were called:
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. " (Eph 1:4-6 KJV)
And he explains how the rest of us are saved:
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?" (Rom 10:13-14 KJV)
John implies the same two categories of Christians: those who are called (prophets and saints) and those who are not, but are, nevertheless, saved:
"And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth." (Rev 11:18 KJV)
We generally assume from this statement that the saints shall judge the world:
"Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?" (1 Cor 6:2 KJV)
Jesus said the disciples judge the twelve tribes from twelve thrones. Therefore we can assume they are saints:
"And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Mat 19:28 KJV)
We can "see" the thrones of the disciples in the following passage from the Revelation; but we also see others who serve as judges (e.g., those who reign.) They are distinct in that they were beheaded:
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." (Rev 20:4-5 KJV)
We could assume that "beheaded" means death by other means; or even a spiritual death. But that would require spiritualization of the scripture.
Therefore, the disciples and the beheaded are the ones who reign with Christ. Those are the saints; and they do not include anyone who has been on this earth for a very long time.
What about us? We are most fortunate to be fellowcitizens with the saints, providing we call upon the name of the Lord and are saved:
"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." (Eph 2:19-22 KJV)
Philip
So the words... ‘and thy house’ are irrelevant?
The confirmation process... Which occurs once a child is of an age a reason address the issue of belief but it is clear that infant baptism is in fact biblical.
One more question... Any thoughts on John chapter 6 from about verse 50 until the end?
They added false (their own) books... :p
We wake up this morning to the news that 17 people lost their live last night. Grow up. There are more important things than your obnoxious postings about how your beliefs are better than somebody else’s.
You’ve said it all, brother!
Rather all Christians should rejoice in regards to new saints.
From God via the Catholic Church.
No you are wrong. (Wow that was easy. I just made a moral determination based on my personal disapproval of your religion)
I would not have entered this discourse if the evangelical Protestants weren’t so obnoxiously, not only ‘right’ about everything, but feel they must brow beat all that do not follow their beliefs to the T.
I really have no problem with the way others worship, unless they try to kill me and mine like the Islamics....or who are so holier than thou, that they must call me wrong and/or damned about my way of worship.
You really need to get a life so you can let others live theirs.
If you cannot speak nice, keep typing fingers quiet.
Also in my home state, we are dealing a knife stabbing death of a young lady who had a bright future ahead of herself and some posters make a big deal about who is a saint?
Backwards.
Genuine faith produces works.
Anyone can have an intellectual assent to God, add some works, and deceive themselves into thinking they are saved.
The new birth is more than believing in God and doing some good works to merit heaven.
It's a whole change in nature. Different desires, different goals, different priorities, different way of thinking (we are given the mind of Christ).
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
That is not a concern of this forum.
I guess I’ve heard of it, but don’t know what it is, tho I probably would if it were in the Bible. What is it, what is its origin, and how does it relate to my statement that in the Bible, saints were plain old ordinary Christians?
The question I have is, why should there even been a “big deal” made in the first place. Let a branch of the Christian faith rejoice.
Give us the Scripture that shows that children are to be baptized.
Tell that to the Catholics and Mormons as well.
Well in Acts whole households got baptized and that includes babies.
Like the Catholics who tell us that we're going to hell for not being Catholic and people have to eat Jesus to be saved, and go to confession in their church to have a proper sacramental confession heard, and to be *properly* baptized, and *properly* married, yada, yada, yada.
Show us the posts where iscool or any other Evangelical, tells anyone else that they have to follow their beliefs to a *T*.
What beliefs are those?
Where does it say *babies*?
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